


now and forever (i will be your man)

by thekardemomme



Category: SKAM (Norway)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Boys Kissing, Childhood Friends, Fluff and Angst, M/M, Pining, Unrequited Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-13
Updated: 2019-03-13
Packaged: 2019-11-16 13:08:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,258
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18094901
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thekardemomme/pseuds/thekardemomme
Summary: 3 times isak kisses even+1





	now and forever (i will be your man)

**Author's Note:**

> title from now and forever by richard marx

_one._

the first time he and even kissed, they were ten and twelve respectively. it was isak’s tenth birthday party and they’d long since ditched the other children to hide out on the side of the house, curled together and eating pieces of the birthday cake his mother had spent so much time making that morning.

“have you had a good birthday?” even asks, and isak nods, shoveling the lemon cake into his mouth and hardly taking a breath.  “that’s good. i remember my tenth birthday.”

isak rolls his eyes. “you were only ten, like, two years ago. you’re not that old.” he finishes off his cake and sets the plate aside, and then leans against the side of the house to face even. “did you hear that anders kissed mia?” he asks, and even quickly shakes his head. “yeah. apparently they kissed at lunch a few days ago.”

even asks, “have you ever kissed anyone?”

promptly, isak blushes. he can’t imagine what it’s like to kiss a girl. it seems unnecessarily unsanitary, in his opinion. what’s so great about pressing your lips against someone else’s lips, anyway? what if they didn’t brush their teeth? what if their lips are chapped? what if there’s leftover food crumbs? he shakes his head, and asks if even ever has.

thankfully, even shakes his head, too. isak doesn’t have to feel so alone. “we could, you know,” even murmurs, and isak raises his eyebrows. “kiss. we could be each other’s secret first kiss. no one would ever know but us.”

“pinky promise?”

“of course, dummy,” even snorts, reaching up and linking his pinky with isak’s. “like i said, secret first kiss.”

they scoot closer, until their knees are touching and isak can smell the lemon cake on even’s breath. he shifts nervously. “what should i do?” he asks, and even shrugs. “maybe… maybe you should do it.”

“do what?”

“kiss me! it was your idea, anyway.”

even sighs. “whatever. i’ll do it. close your eyes.” isak obliges, and within the next few seconds, even’s lips are pressed to his. it’s fleeting, barely lasting for a few seconds, and isak still thinks it’s gross, but there’s also an unexplainable tingling feeling in his toes and his stomach. he looks away quickly, as if that’ll somehow help to mask his embarrassment.

“there,” isak mumbles, wiping his mouth on his shirt sleeve, “now we have.”

“yeah,” even agrees proudly. “we have.”

_two._

eva pours isak a drink, eyes flicking up to meet his every now and then. she smiles every time they make eye contact, a small smirk as though she knows something that he doesn’t. as she hands his drink over, isak finally asks what gives.

“he’s been staring all night,” eva shrugs, looking across the room. despite the fact that the house party is cramped and full of people (isak really hates these high school parties), all isak has to do is follow her gaze to know exactly who she’s talking about. “is there something going on between you two?”

even, who _was_ in fact staring, winks at isak from where he’s stood across the room. he’s nursing a beer, probably the same beer he’s had all night, and pretending to listen to some girl’s meaningless conversation. it makes isak’s heart swell to know that even with a pretty girl on his arm, even still can’t help but to think of him.

but there’s nothing going on between them, unfortunately. they get asked a lot. probably because they’re so tactile and affectionate with each other. they’ve been that way since childhood, and even though isak’s developed some inconvenient feelings towards certain things about even (see: his everything), he refuses to let that stop him. he can move past his silly little crush.

“no,” isak sighs, gulping the drink. “nothing going on. we like girls.”

eva nods, “right, right.” she glances back over towards even and smirks. “he’s coming over here.”

isak allows his gaze to travel back over, finding even to be making his way across the dance floor. he eventually makes it in one piece, sidling up next to isak and dropping an arm around his shoulders.

he tries not to lean into even’s touch, he really does.

“what’re you two talking about?” even asks, and isak shrugs. “well, i could tell you two were talking about me because you kept looking.”

“we were talking about how in love you two are!” eva interjects, making isak wince. even, thankfully, just seems to find it amusing.

“no, no. she pointed out that you were staring and then asked if we had a thing.”

even nods twice before a wicked smile crosses his face. isak doesn’t get to ask about it before he’s turning back to eva, tightening his arm around isak’s shoulders. “of course we have a thing! haven’t you seen isak? i can’t get enough of this guy. drives me crazy whenever i’m around him.” he winks at isak, and isak groans internally but smiles at eva.

the smile fades when even grips his chin and turns him sideways, pressing their lips together.

it’s the longest few seconds isak’s ever lived through, kissing even in front of their friends. he can’t even find it within himself to care.

after all, he’s too busy caring that even will only kiss him as a joke.

_three._

airport snacks are ridiculously expensive. isak bought one bag of chips and a water bottle and spent fifteen kroner, which is an absolute outrage. he turns to tell even as much, only to find the taller boy staring at him with tear-filled eyes.

“even…” isak sighs, placing the snacks down on the table. “don’t look at me like that. you shouldn’t be sad! you’re going to new york! to film school! this is a good thing!”

even shrugs, “i know. but i wish you were coming with me.”

“i’m still here, you know. i’m not, like, going anywhere. we’ll skype and facetime and call and text. we can fly out to visit each other. it’ll be fine, you’ll see.” he pulls even into a hug, squeezing his eyes shut as soon as his face is buried in even’s shoulder. even doesn’t need to see him cry, too. he has to be the strong one. “distance makes the heart grow fonder.”

“that’s not true,” even mumbles. “it just makes the heart get more comfortable with the absence.”

isak pulls back slightly from the hug so he can look even in the eyes. “hey. don’t talk like that. you and i will still be best friends no matter how far away you go, okay? no matter how big and famous of a director you become, no matter how busy you are, no matter how frequently or infrequently we talk. you will _always_ be my best friend. i may not be able to be right next to you all the time but i’m always just a phone call away. okay?” even nods, tears slipping down to his chin. “don’t cry, even, jeez. you’re gonna make me cry.”

“i love you,” even whispers, and isak’s heart cracks. partially because of how broken even sounds, and partially because he knows it isn’t he same. even doesn’t love him like he loves even—and that’s okay. isak’s 19 years old, he can move past unrequited love. hell, maybe the distance will even help him move on.

isak nods, “i love you, too.”

“no, i… i really love you,” even rushes out. overhead, they call out for his flight to start boarding. “i love you as more than just a friend, isak, i… i’m _in_ love with you.”

“w-what?”

“i’m in love with you.”

it’s all isak’s ever wanted to hear from him, but his stomach turns. of course even would wait before a transatlantic flight to his new home 3,682 miles away. only even, tragic romance enthusiast, would be this much of an asshole.

when isak doesn’t respond, even moves to pull away. isak doesn’t let him.

he pulls even back in, crashing their lips together. it’s their first real kiss, and it tastes like tears and is horribly uncoordinated, but it’s the best kiss isak’s ever had. they kiss until they can’t anymore, and isak opens his mouth to say he loves even, too. but then—

_final call to board flight 2653 to new york city._

_plus one._

“he should be here any second,” mikael says, and isak is steps ahead of them, already on his tiptoes looking for that blond hair that he hasn’t seen in way too long.

after three years of film school, even is _finally_ moving back to oslo. isak wishes he could say he didn’t spend three years waiting on even, but he’d be lying. he dated casually here and there, but it never felt right. even was the love of his life, he just knew it, and if it took three years of patience to finally have him then so be it.

isak waited ten years for even to love him back, and three years was nothing in comparison.

granted, he and even didn’t talk as much over the last few months. isak just guessed he got busy with ending his time at film school, and preparing for the move back to oslo. isak didn’t mind. he just counted down the days until he could have his best friend back.

mikael wraps an arm around his shoulders. “you know, i’ve always been kind of jealous of you,” they say, and isak asks why. “you’re even’s best friend, you know? like, i was his friend, probably his closest one at elvebakken. but nobody could ever touch your #1 status. for the longest time, i felt like i was in competition with you. the way even talked about you… i could tell there was something different about you from the day i met him. i guess i should’ve known there was more there. he’s head over fucking heels.”

“i’ve been in love with him since i was, like, eleven. before i even knew what love was, really.”

“he’s a lucky man.”

the doors open, then, and people start walking out. isak goes back on his tiptoes, his heart thumping in his chest and all the way up to his throat. he can’t wait to see even, to kiss him and hug him and tell him how much he loves and missed him. he can’t wait to see even again, for real, and not through a computer screen.

suddenly, mikael is tugging on his arm, and whispering something that isak isn’t really listening to. he tries to shake free of mikael’s grip, eyes still scanning the crowd until he finally spots the boy he’d been waiting for. _his boy._

it’s not until after a handful of seconds that isak notices the pretty girl standing next to him, tucked underneath his arm as they walk towards mikael and isak. isak’s heart drops from his throat to the bottom of his stomach, making him want to vomit. he understands mikael’s insistent pulling, now.

even smiles when he sees them, rushing over and pulling mikael and then isak into a hug. isak hugs back, trying to smile and be happy despite the tears burning his eyes.

“guys, i’m so happy you finally get to meet the girl that’s kept me sane these last few months,” even says, in english, and isak’s lip wobbles. “this is sonja. she’s from new york, so speak english.”

“nice to meet you,” mikael says, and it sounds so stilted that isak has to look away. god. “uh, i’m mikael.”

sonja smiles, and isak really hates that she’s so pretty when she smiles. “it’s so nice to meet you, even told me so much.” she turns to isak. “and you must be… isaac.”

“isak,” he corrects the pronunciation, and sonja blushes. “sorry. uh, nice to meet you.”

“no, i’m sorry. i really should’ve gotten that right, even talks about you so much i can’t believe i messed it up.” she smiles again. “seriously, though, he talks about you so much that i really started to worry i might have some competition.”

isak and mikael both stiffen, and even winces. the tension is so thick that isak thinks he could cut it with a knife.

he just wants to go home.

“i should get going,” he says.

“what? aren’t you coming with us?” even asks.

“i don’t feel well,” he (only somewhat) lies. even frowns, and isak knows he knows. “i think i’m just going to head home. it was nice to meet you, though, sonja.” he faces even. “and nice to see you again, even _._ i really fucking missed you,” he says, in norwegian. the words seem nice, but he says them with so much bite that even mikael is holding their breath.

isak waves and then turns to walk away, feeling so impossibly stupid. here he was, hoping for some cinematic reunion with the perfect true love’s kiss. he should’ve known it was too good to be true. even never loved him the way isak loved him. it’s been the same for over ten fucking years.

he needs to stop waiting for even to catch up, to love him back. he can’t make even love him if he doesn’t. he can’t make even want him. it’s his own fault for falling so hard without making sure even was there to catch him.

he turns around just before he’s out of sight, half expecting even to be watching him leave. instead, even is bent down, kissing sonja.

**Author's Note:**

> find me on tumblr: elullemant  
> (i used to be medicineontour!)


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